The festival was a celebration of the arts that was put on by the Artists Melting Pot Ministry, a nonprofit headed up by Nancy Cozza, who said the organization is “not faith-based; it’s spirit-based.” The group works to “unleash the power of creative arts to spread messages of Peace,” according to its mission statement.

The ministry is working to raise money to resurrect the Oxnard cemetery, which had been abandoned for years, according to owner Robert Garcia of Garcia Mortuary.

“We are working in partnership with the Artists Melting Pot on the Monarch Butterfly Festival. They are using our facilities to bring respect for the land, the art and culture it represents. It is a partnership,” Garcia said. “I’ve owned the land for three years. My goal is to bring it back to life. The cemetery has been abandoned for so many years. I want to maintain and restore in honor of the pioneer families here.”

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Shella Douet sets up the children’s booth for Saturday's Monarch Butterfly Festival at the Pleasant Valley Road Historical Cemetery in Oxnard. This Photo was taken looking through a science viewer that had a couple of photos of butterflies.
JUAN CARLO/THE STAR

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Cozza said the vision for the cemetery is to encourage monarch butterflies to rest in the giant eucalyptus trees that ring the old cemetery. She said the Monarch Butterfly Festival goes hand-in-hand with Dia de Los Muertos concept.

“Dia de los Muertos begins when the monarchs first appear in south Mexico. We have an earlier heat cycle here, and we are trying to encourage the butterflies to winter here. The forests in Mexico are being devoured,” Cozza said. Money from the festival will be used to bring water to the site to help plant milkweeds and other foliage.

The festival offered art, food vendors and entertainment, as well as a chance to explore the cemetery where headstones are sprinkled haphazardly after years of neglect.

Garcia explained that the monarchs fit in well at the old cemetery, both of which need to be revived.

“The monarchs migrate from north to south, and then to north again. We want to give them a place to stop here. I want to bring families together to reunite and be in one place,” Garcia said, adding that he hopes more groups in the community step up to help revive the cemetery. “I’ve been hoping some groups would bring some gardening experience to help beautify the area. Nancy approached me because I am the owner. We decided this will be a sanctuary to display art and for celebration. Of course, there’s also the significance of butterflies in the area.”

Michelle Morgan, of Mission Hill, was flying one of the monarch butterfly kites when she froze.

“Oh, my God! There goes a butterfly,” she said.

Morgan said she was visiting friends in her hometown of Oxnard when she found out about the festival.

“I get excited when I see butterflies,” she said.

Cody McNeal, 13, of Oxnard, was struggling to keep his monarch kite aloft.

“I don’t fly kites often. I like monarchs because they migrate. They represent this freedom and spirit,” Cody said, adding that he also supports the arts. “I sketch a lot. Every day.”

Oxnard School District Trustee Denis O’Leary said he supports the cause of refurbishing the cemetery. O’Leary, who was selling his colorful paintings, explained: “I consider art as a cheap therapist. I’ve talked to other people who like to use art as a peaceful meditation. I’ve driven by here so many times but I never came in. The Japanese cemetery is fascinating.”

The Japanese cemetery is in a small fenced off area set off from the main Pleasant Valley Road Historical Cemetery.

Chuck and Julia Lear, of Oxnard, were disappointed there weren’t more monarchs in the eucalyptus trees.

“I went to see the butterflies in Monterey, where they had a butterfly festival. They had thousands there,” Chuck Lear said. “I love their color. And they’re so elegant when they fly.”